Wellbody Blog

At Professor Wellbody's Academy of Health & Wellness, we understand there's only one thing harder than making healthy behavior changes: Sticking to them! We all need a little help from our friends, and that's the purpose of the Wellbody Blog, a friendly online gathering spot--a community well--where you can dip into health news; wellness tips; recipes; latest research about nutrition, exercise, sleep and hygiene; plus, real stories from virtual neighbors who are also trying to change their lives for the better. Start from wherever you are; share ideas, information, inspiration. At Pacific Science Center, we believe each of us can do something everyday to improve our health and well-being.

Meet Dina Popovkina, a 24-year-old graduate student who researches neurobiology and behavior at the University of Washington. In The Studio's current Mind and Machines exhibit within Wellbody Academy, Dina talks about how her early ambitions to become an astronaut were squelched when she realized she got sick riding rollercoasters. She shared with Wellbody Blog how she found her way as a woman in science on her journey from the Ukraine to the UW. And she explains her research about how the brain comprehends visual information.

I didn’t always want to be an astronaut. What drew me to it was exploring, finding out something new, something that had never been done before.

I came to the United States when I was about 12 from Ukraine. Here, the science education is really great, and there’s opportunity. In Ukraine, there are a lot of girls who were interested in learning languages and being involved in science, but there aren’t many opportunities for them.

Meet Bish Paul, a University of Washington graduate student who is using viruses to fight HIV in experiments at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

In this fascinating three-minute clip, Paul deftly explains how he and his colleagues remove the "bad parts" from certain viruses and then use those viruses to "block the door" so HIV can't enter cells. (And yes, in the video the young scientist wears jeans as he explains gene therapy and demonstrates laboratory technique.)

To learn more about our region's remarkable current research in genetics, visit The Studio in Wellbody Academy, now featuring Next Generation Genetics. Extract DNA from strawberries and build DNA models with your own hands, daily from 12:10 – 12:50 p.m. with additional afternoon sessions from 2:10 – 2:50 p.m. on weekends. The Studio will feature Next Generation Genetics through the end of May 2013. On deck for June 2013 – Nov 2013: Neuroscience.